Firstly let me say that I have not had much experience with baitcasters. My fishing life of over 40 years has always been around spin gear so, when I started chasing barra three years ago, I naturally looked at my spin options.
Secondly I am not as technically anal as you, Scott, Lyndon (no offence guys!) and many others.
I go out to fish to enjoy myself and, as long as the gear is of good quality and works reasonably well, I am happy and any fish caught is a bonus!
After a few trials and tribulations I have now settled on three barra outfits.
They are:
1. 7' Egrell S10, Hyper Custom Certate 3000 spooled with 50lb castaway PE
2. 6'6" Berkley Dropshot, Shimano Saros 4000 with 30lb Tufline
3. 6' Berkley Dropshot, Penn Applause 4000 with 30lb Tufline
The weak link here is the Penn Applause reel which is on it's last legs and about to be replaced by a 3000 size Daiwa. Too many barra have destroyed this loyal but cheap friend...I agree though that a 3000 size reel is well suited to catching barra.
I use the Egrell mostly for throwing heavy plastics, surface popping and burning frogs. The dropshots are used to twitch hardbodies - usually the longer rod on points and weed edges and the short rod in amongst the timber.
All outfits have caught barra and all have handled them well - even when free spooling is required by throwing over the bail arm. Whether slow rolling plastics or twitching lures I am comfortable in using this gear all day.
Never worried too much about my stance or body position but accept that I will sometimes lose fish due to poor technique. So what? I love being on the water with my best mate (my son Kyle) and if we only get one fish between us on a trip, we are happy. While I love catching barra, I also get a buzz by being dusted by a big girl and I'm not too bothered by the ones I miss (unless I do something stupid - which I have!). This is why we keep coming back!
Like all anglers starting out we began with cheaper and perhaps inferior gear and have educated and updated our stuff over time. Kyle's favourite combo is now a 6'6" Berkley Dropshot matched with a Daiwa Heartland XA 3000.
Why no baitcasters? Simple, no-one has ever shown us how to use one! Seems like a hell of a lot of hard work and constant practice and I am far too lazy for that! I do own an Pfleuger Echelon on a Backbone Elite but this has ended up being a trolling rod for big flathead at the 'Pin.
Maybe you can have a go at coverting us at the Mondy Muster in Sept!
Regs
Pete & Kyle